No time like the present
by kpkp
Summary: Set after 'On My Way'. After what Quinn has been through, she knows she can't be a coward anymore. Life is too damn short. INCLUDES SPOILERS from S3x14 and possibly onwards.
1. Chapter 1

**A/N: **I have been reading Faberry fanfics for well over a year, and haven't attempted to write because I know I can't compete with some of the fantastic writers on here. However, after seeing 'On My Way', I haven't been able to get this story out of my head. I have no idea where to go with it or even if I want to continue, I would like to see what you guys think.

All mistakes are mine. I don't own Glee and all that jazz.

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><p>Chapter 1<p>

Quinn Fabray had been through a lot over the past three years, but nothing scared her as much as the crash that left her in a wheelchair for who knows how long. The doctors assured her that she wouldn't be in that chair permanently; in fact if she worked hard at her physio she could be out of it within six months. Quinn gives everything one hundred percent, and there was no 'if' about it. She _knew_ she would be walking in six months.

If Quinn were to be really honest with herself though, she doesn't give _everything _one hundred percent. There was one thing that eluded her, one thing she never had the courage to just go for. After what she's been through, she figures there is no time like the present to put that right. The one thing she wanted the most nearly slipped through her fingers due to her cowardice and the accident, as painful and horrible as it was, could have actually been a blessing in disguise. She knew she couldn't be a coward anymore. Life is too damn short.

Quinn is pulled out of her musings when her wheelchair suddenly became lighter, easier to wheel around the halls of McKinley. She looked behind her and couldn't contain her smile at the person pushing her along.

Rachel Berry.

"Hey you"

"Good afternoon, Quinn. Would you allow me the pleasure of escorting you to Glee?" Rachel seemed to be bouncing with happiness; it was infectious.

"Of course"

Quinn turned back around and sat her hands in her lap. They were starting to hurt after pushing herself around all day. Maybe she really does need to get some driving gloves like Artie, but that thought makes her shudder. Rachel's voice cuts through the horrifying mental image of beige, fake leather driving gloves.

"And how are you today?"

"I'm good thanks. Although I'm finding it hard to push myself around all day, my hands are killing."

"Well if you ever need an escort Miss Fabray, let me know."

The blonde turns her head back to Rachel and again, can't help but smile. "Thank you."

Rachel smiles back warmly. She still blames herself for what happened to her friend, but after much reassurance by the blonde that it was her own fault for not looking at the road, Rachel is slowly starting to forgive herself. Quinn is alive after all, and she's more determined than ever to make sure the former Cheerio is her friend for life. That doesn't mean she still isn't surprised by Quinn's next question.

"What are you doing tonight?"

"I'm sorry, what?"

_Fuck it. _Quinn thought. It's time to bite the bullet.

"Are you free tonight? I would really like to…um…talk to you. You can come to my house, maybe you can help me cook?"

Rachel had never been invited to Quinn Fabray's house before. This was definitely new. She couldn't refuse though; she had been waiting for three years to be invited to Quinn's house, as her friend_._ What did Quinn want to talk to her about though? What the hell, she wasn't going to pass this up.

"Sure! I would love to, Quinn. Do you need me to bring anything?"

"No, but thanks anyway. I think I know what we can make. And don't worry, I know you're a vegan." Quinn craned her neck around to Rachel again and winked. The brunette beamed back.

"What time shall I come around? About six?"

"Yeah, six would be good."

The girls realised that they had arrived in the choir room. Mr Schue wasn't there yet, but everyone else was, pretty much. The teenagers lit up when they saw Quinn, glad to see her back at school and back in Glee. They all honestly thought they would never see the girl again.

"Hey Quinn!" Tina exclaimed. "So good to see you!" She ran over and wrapped Quinn in a hug. She and Mike had probably seen Quinn the least since she left hospital.

"Good to see you too, Tina. Hey guys!"

"Hey Quinn" everyone chorused. Rachel can't remember seeing her team mates so happy in this room, apart from after competition wins. Brittany and Sugar were waving excitedly, Kurt and Blaine did a little clap, and Mercedes and Santana had looks of pure admiration and warmth on their faces. Yep, even Santana.

Despite everything that's happened, Rachel feels like she could burst with joy. The Glee club are closer than ever and seemingly unstoppable for a Nationals win, and the girl in front of her is…well, alive. And her friend…possibly her best friend, even.

She wheels Quinn over to the end of the first row, and sits in the empty chair next to her. The blonde looks at her quizzically.

"Not sitting next to Finn?"

Rachel glances over to her fiance. Actually, is he her fiancé? Is he even her boyfriend? She doesn't know. Finn gives her a sad, yet still lopsided smile. The two haven't talked properly since they rushed out of the church after hearing about Quinn's accident. Finn cornered her once Quinn was out of hospital, and asked Rachel what was going on between them, because she hadn't mentioned the wedding since. Rachel pleaded that she still wanted to get married, but figured they shouldn't rush into it. Finn was visibly hurt by that, and said he needed time to think.

Deep down, Rachel really wasn't sure if she wanted to get married anymore.

The brunette began: "on the day…before we heard about your accident…I was waiting for you. I refused to start the ceremony without you. Finn was pushing me, saying 'it's now or never' and…I don't know, when he said that I just felt, dread I suppose. I tried to put it off a little longer by texting you…again." Rachel's lip started to tremble. It still hurt so much. She'll never forget how she felt when Mr Schue told everyone about the accident, just as Finn began saying his vows. She managed a watery smile as Quinn reached over and squeezed her hand.

"Hey, it's ok…I'm here aren't I?" The blonde tried to reassure her.

Rachel took a deep breath and tried to compose herself. "Anyway…for the next couple of days the priority was you…we were all so worried…just hoping you would pull through. Finn and I didn't have chance to talk about the wedding. Then you woke up, yet we still didn't talk about it. And I didn't want to talk about it; that's when I realised getting married was probably a mistake. I really, really wanted you at the wedding of course, but I think if I really wanted to marry him, I would have just done it. When he said 'now or never', I should have said 'okay' and took his hand. But I didn't."

Quinn nodded along to what Rachel was saying and she felt relief wash over her. She was glad the brunette had finally realised that marrying Finn Hudson was nothing short of ridiculous.

"Well, it may have taken a car accident, but I'm glad you finally took my advice" Quinn offered, with a cheeky grin.

The brunette poked her in the ribs, but couldn't help a small smile herself. "Not funny, Fabray."

"HEY GUYS!" Mr Schue traipsed into the room, late as usual. "QUINN! Wow! So great to see you back!"

"Thanks Mr Schue, I'm glad to be back."

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><p><strong>Let me know what you think! Thank you lovely magick unicorns xxxx<strong>


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N: **wow, thank you for all the likes, follows and reviews. I really appreciate it and you've inspired me to carry this on. Thanks again :) xx

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><p>After Glee, Rachel told Quinn she needed to get changed quickly at home before coming over. The blonde said she could take her time, because she needs to go shopping with her mom to get the ingredients for dinner.<p>

A while later Quinn was chopping spinach on the dining room table. She was nervous about tonight, really nervous, but focusing on how the spinach turned her hands green was helping.

"Quinnie, I'm going to my book club now, honey" Judy poked her head into the kitchen. "Are you sure you're going to be okay? You sure you don't want me to stay and help?"

"Don't worry, mom, Rachel will be here in a minute. Go, please, enjoy yourself."

Judy walked over to her daughter and kissed her on the head. "You too, sweetie."

A few minutes after Judy left, the doorbell rang. Quinn wheeled over and opened the door to reveal a shining Rachel Berry on the other side (seriously, that is the only way Quinn could describe her at the moment, her huge smile, her warm eyes…she was like, well, sunshine).

"Hi Quinn!"

"Hey, you." Quinn greeted with a smile. Rachel was starting to like Quinn's new greeting for her. It was, familiar, and the way she said it was…intimate? She wasn't sure. It beats how the blonde used to address her anyway.

The singer stepped into the hallway and leaned down to hug her friend before being led into the kitchen. There was a very large pile of chopped spinach on the table.

"So…what are we making?"

"Vegan spinach pesto, if that's okay? Unless it's not…then I'm sure we can find something else to make with all this spinach. Oh God! Do you even like spinach?"

"Quinn! Of course I like spinach, and it sounds lovely." Rachel found Quinn's attentiveness endearing.

Quinn breathed a sigh of relief. She needed to calm the fuck down.

"So, what do you want me to do?"

"Do you wanna put the pasta on? All I have to do is put the rest of the ingredients in the blender then we're done."

Okay, so it wasn't the culinary delight she was hoping for but it was the best vegan recipe she could easily do at such short notice.

Fifteen minutes later, the girls set their dinner down at the table. Quinn couldn't believe the moan that escaped from Rachel. Really, she wasn't prepared for hearing _that_.

"OHMYGOD Quinn, this is goooood"

"I'm-I'm glad you like it."

"So, what did you want to talk to me about?"

"Well….um, I was thinking that could wait until after dinner?" Quinn wasn't sure how Rachel would react, and she didn't want her magnificent vegan pasta to go to waste, if she was being honest. She worked hard on that spinach.

"No problem." Rachel wondered what could be so important, but she didn't push further.

They talked animatedly throughout dinner. About Glee, Nationals, Yale, NYADA, Quinn being in a wheelchair and how Artie has been helping her. Dinner was long finished before Quinn realised she really should just get this over with.

"Do you want me to get the plates?"

"No it's fine, thank you. I'll deal with this later. Do you wanna…" Quinn jerked her head towards the living room and began to make her way through. Rachel followed and sat down on the couch. Quinn sat facing her. Her palms were sweating and…when did it get so damn hot in here?

"Quinn, are you ok?"

"Sure, um…." The blonde rubbed her hands against her thighs then clasped them together. She could do this. She took a deep breath, lifted her head up and looked into those eyes. Those eyes that she has lost herself in so many times.

"Rachel…ever since the accident, I've been thinking….differently, about things. Honestly, I saw my whole life flash before my eyes when that truck hit me. I thought that was it, the end. When I came around, I was so happy and grateful. It was like I was given a second chance, and…we don't get second chances very often."

Rachel kept quiet, nodding along with a serious expression on her face. Her silence threw Quinn, but she carried on anyway.

"When I say that I saw my life flash before my eyes, well, it wasn't quite like that, but I know what I saw…and it was you."

The brunette's eyes widened, but Quinn carried on quickly.

"I saw all of the times I have been mean to you. All of the times you've been there for me and I had no idea why. I saw that time I slapped you, our hugs, our talks in bathrooms, dancing and singing together in Glee, your smile, your eyes, your laugh…" okay, she needed to shut up, like now.

"Qui-Quinn, what are you saying?"

"I'm in love with you, Rachel. I didn't want you to marry Finn not only because you would actually be ruining your life but also because it was….it hurt me. It took me a long time to come to terms with it but sitting in that hospital…having a lot of time to think. I realised. It's you, Rach. It's always been you." Those last few words came out as a whisper and Quinn wasn't sure if Rachel heard. She looked down and let out a shaky breath, trying to swallow down the lump in her throat. She couldn't bring herself to look at Rachel, not yet.

Silence. Since when was Rachel Berry ever _silent_? A few more seconds. Or was it minutes? Seriously, this is taking too long. She needs something. Quinn slowly raised her head to look at Rachel. The brunette was staring at the TV with tears in her eyes.

"I…I need to go. I'm sorry. Thank you for dinner, Quinn."

Rachel got up and couldn't look her in the eye. That hurt.

"Wait, Rachel, please! We…we need to talk about this!" Quinn choked.

"I'm…I'm sorry Quinn….I need to….bye." Rachel couldn't get out of the house quick enough. With that final slam of the door, Quinn burst into tears.

Why the hell did she tell her again? Oh yeah, second chances.

xxxxxxxxxxxxx

Rachel was wide-awake at 5am. She couldn't sleep a wink. She couldn't get her head around what happened and Quinn's crestfallen face was emblazoned on her consciousness.

After a long workout on the elliptical, a shower and breakfast, and an hour or so picking out what to wear, she thought now was an appropriate time. She hit the 'call' button on her phone and waited.

"What the fuck, Berry! It's 10am. Saturday. Morning. What the hell…"

"Santana, I…I really….I don't know who else to talk to. I need to talk to you, please." Rachel was in tears for the trillionth time in the past few hours.

A pause, then her sleepy voice again. "Jeez, Berry, you sound like death."

"Can…can I meet you, today? Please. Are you free?"

"No, I was planning on getting my sweet lady kisses on. But, whatever. You sound like shit. As long as you don't want to talk about the Pillsbury dough turd fiancé of yours"

Rachel sighed in relief. Then remembered, shit-Finn, what about Finn! She shook her head; she couldn't deal with that right now. "I…I don't. It's nothing to do with him, really. Could you meet me at the Lima Bean? I'll get you a mochaccino." Wait…how did she remember what Santana's favourite drink was? She mentally patted herself on the back.

"And a brownie."

"And a brownie."

"Okay. Give me half an hour. And make yourself presentable, Berry. If you look anything like you sound no amount of coffee or brownie will stop me from walking straight back out of that place so nobody sees me with your sorry ass."

"Thank you, Santana."

"Whatever."

Santana hung up. Rachel brushed her hair again and decided she would take a slow walk over to the coffee shop.


	3. Chapter 3

**A/N: **another chapter for you magick people. I love this chapter because I love Santana, and I really enjoyed writing her. Hope you like :) xxx

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><p>Rachel sat in the Lima Bean, tapping her fingers nervously on the table. She half expected Kurt and Blaine to be here; they live in this freaking place. She took a sip of her tea and eyed the brownie on the other side of the table. Coach Sylvester may have softened of late but she knows she wouldn't approve of Santana's choice of breakfast.<p>

Just then, the cheerleader breezed into the shop. She looked much less intimidating out of her Cheerios uniform and with her hair down. She seemed more…approachable. Rachel had grown fond of Santana this year; she had been through a tough time and was missed when she joined the Troubletones. Rachel wouldn't consider her a friend yet; she was still far too abrasive for her liking. Still, she had a lot of respect for the girl taking the seat opposite. She looked Rachel up and down.

"Not bad, Berry. You could do with some sunglasses though, seriously. I could easily use those bags under your eyes to shoplift with."

Rachel was surprised by the backhanded compliment. "Thank you for meeting me, Santana. I really appreciate it."

"Whatever. Britt had dance class anyway and I get a free breakfast. So, spit it out. I haven't got all day." She took a bite into her brownie.

Rachel was going to point out that a chocolate fudge brownie and sugary coffee is hardly a decent breakfast, but decided against it. There were more important things to discuss. She needed someone to help her make sense of all this. "Well, I went round to Quinn's house yesterday. She said she wanted to talk to me about something. We had dinner and a lovely evening, really. It was the closest I felt to her in well…ever."

Santana glanced at Rachel every now and again to show she was listening as she chewed on her brownie.

"Then…after dinner, she told me…she told me…." Rachel felt a lump form in her throat.

"What, Berry?"

"She told me she was…in love with me!" She couldn't believe it, still couldn't. It just didn't make sense.

"And..I don't know what to think. I just left, I didn't know what to say to her. Also, I'm angry with her, why did she tell me this now? I thought she was joking at first but then I looked at her and she looked…I don't know, hopeful? She looked scared, too. And now I don't know what to think…I mean, it's _Quinn. _She could have any guy or girl she wants. It's not the fact she's gay, of course not, although that is a bit of a shock, I have to admit. It's just, well it's…me. Why me? And I love Finn. Finn! Why is she doing this to me?" Rachel thought she was going to pass out. She took a deep breath and looked to Santana whose face…well, it looked…like she was going to…

"BAHAHAHA! Oh my god!" She clutched at her sides and threw her head back. Well, this was rude.

Rachel glared at her. "SANTANA! It's not funny! How on earth can you laugh at this?"

She watched the Cheerio convulse with laughter as if she had said the funniest thing in the history of the world. The singer was about to execute a perfect diva storm out when…

"FINALLY!"

Wait, what?

"What?"

"Finally! That bitch has come to her senses"

"What are you talking about Santana? This isn't funny! I don't know what to think or to do! I'm a mess and you're _laughing_? I refuse to stand around while you make fun…."

"Calm your tits, hobbit." Santana raised her hand in placation and wiped some of the tears from her eyes.

"I…I don't understand, Santana. What do you mean she's come to her senses?"

Once Santana managed to compose herself, she continued. "Look, Berry. I'm a lesbian and a judgemental bitch, so my gaydar is amazing. I mean, it's like 100% right, all of the time. Let me break it down for you. Q has had the hots for you ever since she laid eyes on your grandma toddler ass in freshman year."

Rachel couldn't believe what she was hearing. How? Why? "But…but she was so mean to me…and she's had boyfriends! She was pregnant!"

"Oh please. It's textbook. Of course Q has been the most pressed of all pressed lemons, like ever. And you can't blame her, I mean look where she's come from. And her giving you a hard time? That's because she couldn't deal. It's so fucking obvious."

"But…you were also…"

"Don't get any ideas, Barbara. I was just doing Q's bidding. She told us to do all that shit to you. Which, I'm like, sorry about now cos you're alright. Don't repeat that."

Rachel sat back and stared at the table. Her head felt like it was about to explode. She had to ask Santana her next question, though.

"What about me? You know, your…gaydar."

The cheerleader sipped her coffee and took a moment. "Well…truthfully Berry, I thought you were straight as a pole in Sophomore year. The way you went after Finn like he was the holy fucking grail or something. But at the same time, you were obsessed with making Q your friend no matter how shit she treated you. I didn't get it; I just put it down to you being weird. Then I really thought about it, and with the clothes you wear combined with your obsession with Broadway and show tunes, I figured you would be into some freaky shit."

Rachel shook her head in disbelief, but she couldn't stop listening to the girl.

"I'm not sure if you're fully gay Berry, but deep down, I know you have the hots for Q. You just haven't realised it. You two have some crazy electricity thing going on whenever you even look at each other. Especially this year. Whenever I caught Q looking at you she looked like she wanted to jump your bones."

Rachel shuddered, but not because she was creeped out…strangely. She cleared her throat. "I know I wanted to be her friend and…we are, I mean, we were beginning to be really good friends. At least I hoped. After the pregnancy, I sympathised with her. I thought she felt lonely, just like I did. I reached out to her so many times in Sophomore year and she was still really mean. Not as mean as she used to be but still…not very nice."

"Yeah, and it all adds up, Berry. Like, those pictures she used to draw? Who the hell draws ugly, demeaning pictures then puts _love hearts _around them?"

"Love hearts?"

"Yeah. Obviously your exaggerated schnozz and deformed boobs caught the eye so it was easy to miss the love hearts. I thought it was a bit weird but whatever. Then your Myspace videos. I didn't give a shit about them, but Q always made us watch them and comment."

Rachel stared at Santana in disbelief. Surely…surely it couldn't have gone back that far? She couldn't shake it though; it was as if all of the puzzle pieces were falling into place.

"And remember when you went on a rampage in Glee to get that yearbook photo? Guess who went to Sue and made it happen?"

"I…I've never really thought about…"

"It was your blonde knight in shining armour. She went to Sue and negotiated. By herself-no help from us. She didn't have to do that. I thought she hit her head at the time but then I realised there might be more to it. She was…fixated, on you. Freaked the shit out of me because that's a visual I don't need, but I had my own stuff going on so didn't say anything."

The evidence was piling up. And other things started to come back to Rachel.

"In Junior year," the singer spoke for the first time in what felt like forever. "She did me a favour. We still weren't on very good terms at the time but I really wanted to be her friend that year. I just wanted to make things right…for the-for the Glee club. So I asked her to do me a favour…I requested that she ask Finn out, to test if he really loved me. And she did it. No questions asked."

"Damn" Santana scoffed.

Then it hit Rachel. It hit her like a ton of bricks.

"Oh my God." She covered her face with her hands.

"What, Berry?"

"Oh my God…I can't believe…" She raised her head to look at her Glee team mate. "After we won Regionals this year, literally minutes after, I was in the hallway. She…she called out to me. She was in her Cheerios uniform and asked me how she looked."

"Jeez, seriously?" Sadness flashed across Santana's eyes. Rachel new why. Quinn told Santana she was rejoining the Cheerios and the co-captain was looking forward to having her friend back on the squad. She was looking forward to having the Unholy Trinity reunited on the football field and now, it won't happen.

Rachel composed herself and carried on: "Yeah. I said I was glad she was happy. Then she asked me the strangest thing…she asked about my solo…if I sang it to Finn and _only Finn._ Her exact words."

Santana's eyes widened. "What the hell? How could you not…"

"I was all over the place at the time! We just won Regionals and I was about to get married! Anyway, she…seemed to have tears in her eyes. I thought she was just happy about winning and that she was back on the Cheerios. Then she hugged me, and it wasn't like our hugs before. It was…different." Rachel welled up again.

Santana leaned closer. "Seriously Berry, the only logical explanation for you being so _blind _to this is that you've been suffocated so many times by Finn's custardy man boobs that your brain has been starved of oxygen and affected your ability to see what was right in front of you. Q has it _so_ bad for you. Like, really bad. I can't believe you didn't see it."

Rachel wasn't sure how to respond to that.

"Look, Quinn has been through a lot of shit this year. In the past few months she's wanted to make things right, that's why she persuaded the Troubletones to come back to Glee…and that's why she's like, hugging you and shit, which I find weird anyways. The accident obviously made her think 'fuck it, I'm just gonna tell the hobbit I'm crazy in love with her because I could get hit by a bus tomorrow.' And that's how San…sees it."

Rachel could swear that Santana was becoming more like Sue Sylvester every day. She wouldn't dare say that out loud though. The singer looked down at her fingers.

"It's not easy, what Q did. I've been there. I told Britt how I felt and she knocked me back. It was one of the worst feelings ever. I felt lost, but I got through it and now I'm lucky enough to have my girl. Whether you want Q or not, she's a resilient bitch. She'll get through it. Every girl and guy at Yale is gonna wants to tap that, she'll have no problems in that department. This – telling you how she really feels - is just something she needed to do. Otherwise…I know Q…she would regret it for the rest of her life if she didn't."

Rachel looked at Santana and managed a small smile. She really admired Santana and she needed her straight talking today, as insulting as it tends to be. And if she was honest with herself she didn't like the idea of Quinn getting hit on by hordes of college students, but she couldn't dwell on that now.

"Seriously though, I don't see why you're fretting. Why have that steaming pile of sweaty pastry when you could have Q's sweet ass?"

"Santana! I'm…in love with Finn!"

"Really though? If you were really in love with him you would have married him as soon as you could and not waited around for Q. You were putting it off and you know it…"

"I…you don't…" Rachel tried to protest, but there was no use. She had a horrible feeling that Santana was right.

"Sure, you love him. You've been together for so long and put up with each other's shit. But I think you're in love with the _idea _of Finn, not Finn himself. You're the loser and he's the stud quarterback, and you got him. He makes you feel safe, secure, whatever. You can see yourself having weird-ass Frankenstein babies who wear argyle and you'll be tearing up Broadway while he holds your purse. Let me ask you this, though, Berry. When you see that, as your future, does it excite you?"

Rachel hesitated. The thought of Broadway did, of course…

"I can't expect you to answer that now, just think about it. That's what you need to do, think. Think hard about what you really want. Q has been given a second chance and you too, in some way. You could have got married and ruined your life forever and now you have a chance to really think about what you want. Just make sure you do what's right for you. Don't let Finn or Q influence you any more. You need to figure this out by yourself."

Rachel breathed a sigh of relief. Now she had spoken to someone about it, she felt lighter. But only a little. She still didn't know what to do but the idea of Quinn being in love with her didn't seem as much of a shock anymore. Yeah, it was a little twisted the way the blonde went about things, but now it kinda made sense. She looked up at the Cheerio. "Thank you Santana. I really appreciate you meeting up with me today. You've…really helped." Rachel sniffled.

Santana shrugged, then scrunched up her nose in thought. "Seriously though, for me, it's no competition. Q wins hands down. Finn was cute in freshman year, but now I just want to poke his belly all the time in the hope that a donut will dispense from his mouth. He can't dance for shit and he always looks constipated. Q is smart, thoughtful, arty…she's going to Yale, for Christ sake. YALE. On top of that she's gorgeous and her body is banging, and she smells way better than Finn. Not as good as Britt, but still better than Finn…"

"Santana, that's not really helping…"

"I mean, have you _seen _Q's ass? It's like, the most amazing ass I have ever seen. Crafted by the fucking Gods. I love Britt but I have always appreciated Q's ass. Dat ass should have its own YouTube channel. No, it's own cable network…"

"SANTANA!" Rachel blushed.

Santana shrugged again and gulped the last of her coffee. "Just keepin' it real."


	4. Chapter 4

**A/N: **This chapter is half Rachel, half Quinn. And shorter than the others. Thanks again to everyone following, reviewing and favouriting :)

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><p>Rachel's head was spinning on the walk back from the Lima Bean. Santana's barrage of words, insults towards Finn and clues on why Quinn…loved her, had her mind going into overload. She was glad Santana could help make sense of Quinn's confession, but was she right when it came to Finn? Was she just in love with the<em> idea <em>of Finn? Or was she actually in love with him?

The brunette was too shell-shocked in the coffee house to protest Santana's disregard for Rachel's feelings towards the quarterback. She had grown used to the insults and the comparing of her fiancé to baked goods. What made Rachel uncomfortable is that she didn't even defend Finn. As his supposed wife-to-be, she should have defended him, right?

Just yesterday, she thought Finn was the one for her but thanks to a certain blonde and her fiery friend, everything was flipped on its head.

Also, was Santana also right about her and Quinn? Did Rachel like Quinn in that way? Sure, she was a little maniacal in getting the blonde to be her friend, and maybe she did go out of her way to help her (giving Jacob Ben Israel her pants just to protect Quinn's secret was a low point. Wait, didn't she do that for Finn?) But does she really like Quinn in that way? She never openly thought of her in a romantic sense before, but now that she's actively aware of it…

Suddenly, Rachel found it hard to breathe. She hadn't even checked to see if Quinn was okay. She left the girl so abruptly last night and despite everything, she still cared deeply about the blonde. Without hesitation, she pulled her phone out of her pocket and typed a quick message.

She hit send as she walked into her house. It was only 1pm and Rachel was exhausted, physically and mentally. She trudged upstairs, flopped onto her bed and drifted off to sleep. The image of Quinn's tearful face from the night before was still there, clear as day, when she closed her eyes.

xxxxxxxxxxx

Quinn was still in bed at 1pm. She couldn't sleep last night after replaying her conversation with Rachel over and over again. She cried more than she had in her entire life, and that was saying something. Her eyes were red and stinging and her throat was raw. Judy came to check on her a few times to move her legs a little, but Quinn couldn't even speak. She was afraid she would fall apart if she tried.

Her phone buzzing made her jump. She opened the message.

**Hey Q. Just checking you're alright. If you wanna do something with me and Britt this weekend, let me know. Nothing like that though. San xx**

Quinn managed a small smile. Santana and Brittany doted on her when she was in hospital, right up until her first day back at school. They brought her DVDs, chocolates, teddy bears (from Brittany) and Santana even cooked her bacon. Plates of it. And they kept the making out with each other to a minimum. They were by her side as much as…Rachel.

The blonde loved her cheerleader friends but she was in no mood to socialise today. She typed a quick reply.

**Hey San. I'm ok, but not feeling up to anything this weekend. Thanks for asking though. Hope you and Britt have a good one xx**

She placed her phone back on the nightstand and stared up at the ceiling. The tears came again as she thought of Rachel. She was by her bedside as much as Santana and Brittany during her recovery, if not more. She was the first person she saw when she finally woke up in hospital. She remembers opening her eyes and squinting at a mess of dark hair and tangled limbs, asleep on the chair across the room. When Quinn realised who was there she knew she would be okay.

The blonde thumped her mattress in frustration. Why did she have to tell Rachel? Why couldn't she have just let things be the way they are? Sure, she hated seeing Rachel and Finn together but Rachel seemed happy.

Then she registered the lack of feeling in her legs and the chocolate eyes that assaulted her consciousness as that truck collided with her car.

No, she needed to do it. It hurts like hell and she's probably lost her as a friend, but at least now Rachel _knows. _

Another buzzing from her phone. Probably Santana inviting herself over regardless of Quinn's emotional state. Her heart jumped when she saw the sender's name.

**Quinn, I'm sorry about last night. I shouldn't have left so abruptly, but I didn't know what to do. I just need space. I hope you're okay. Rach x**

And back came the tears. Quinn held her arm over her eyes and sobbed. Just seeing her name brought all of the pain and hurt and…love back to the surface. Despite everything, Rachel wanted to know if she was okay. That was something to for her to cling on to, even if she couldn't have the singer's friendship, let alone anything else.

After ten minutes, Quinn decided she should reply.

**I'm okay. I'm sorry. Q x**

She didn't know what else to say. And she didn't want to think anymore. She was exhausted and she hadn't even moved for over twelve hours. Her thoughts were whizzing around in her head, arguing for and against her decision to tell Rachel. She reached for her iPod, put in the earbuds, closed her eyes and tried to lose herself in the music.

Easier said than done.

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><p><strong>AN2: **I doubt other chapters will be as angsty as this; I do prefer to keep things light in general. Thanks again for reading, new chapter will follow v. soon xxx


	5. Chapter 5

**A/N: **Thanks again to everyone who has favourited, reviewed and followed. Love you all! xxx

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><p>Rachel was woken by an incessant buzzing on her nightstand. At least she managed to get some sleep. She glanced at her clock – 1:43pm. Well, forty minutes sleep is better than nothing. What's that noise? Oh, her phone. She picked up the offending object and hit 'answer' without looking at the screen.<p>

"Hello?"

"Hey Rach"

"Oh…hi Finn"

"Are you okay? You sound…weird"

"I was just having a nap"

"Oh, right. Um, look, Rach, I've been thinking…like, a lot since…you know, the wedding. I love you, you have to know that. And…I still… I really still want to marry you. Soon, really soon"

"Finn…"

"Wait, Rach, hear me out. How about we get married after Nationals? Like, we book a slot at the Justice of the Peace before the competition. Then when we win, we can go and get married after? Like, then we have more time for you to prepare and stuff. And Quinn might be walking by then too…"

_Quinn. _Whenever Rachel heard her name in the past, for some reason it always sent her heart racing. It used to be fear, then concern, happiness, and now, was it really that? Or was it always…

"…love. I love you so much Rachel"

"Sorry, Finn, what did you say?"

"I…I said that you're my Somebody to Love, like in the Queen song. Our love is like…the Superman of love…"

What the hell is he talking about?

"Finn…I don't know, about getting married. I've been thinking too and…I don't know." She pinched the bridge of her nose and exhaled. "Don't you think it's a little soon to be getting married?"

"But…but Rach, we've been through this. You said to me that I'm the love of your life, why wait? I want you for the rest of my life…"

"Look, Finn. A lot has happened since that day. Things have happened that have made me…think about stuff."

"What, you mean Quinn's accident? Look, I know it sucks for her but don't you think that's even more reason to get married soon? You don't know what could happen, Rach…"

"It's…it's not…I don't know, Finn. I really need to think about this. Because come on, we're only 18, do we really have to get married so soon?"

Finn was quiet for a moment. Rachel could almost hear the cogs turning in his head.

"Rachel, if you don't want to marry me now, you'll never want to marry me"

"How…how can you say that…" Rachel was speechless. And she was pretty sure what Finn just said was a line from a Sex and the City episode. Did he watch Sex and the City? Rachel shook her head. That was irrelevant right now.

"Finn…I don't think that's true"

"Rachel, do you love me?"

"Yes!"

"Do you want to spend the rest of your life with me? Can you see me by your side in the future?"

"I…I…I'm…I need to think…"

Rachel's lip trembled as she heard him exhale slowly on the other end of the line.

She had _always _wanted Finn. Right up until the wedding. But now, so much has happened…she can't even think straight.

"That…that says a lot, Rachel." Finn's voice was heavy with emotion.

"Finn…I…"

"I need, I need some time to think too. It would be good for both of us."

"Are we…are you breaking up with me?"

"I think it's best that we…don't see each other for a while. Bye, Rachel."

He didn't even give her time to answer back before hanging up.

She burst into tears. In a matter of 24 hours everything had fallen apart. She had no fiancé, and no best friend.

She lay there, crying for what felt like forever. They both need space; that much is certain.

She wasn't sure if she wanted to break up with Finn, but he seems to have decided that for her.

Why did he get to decide the terms anyway? Who was he to tell Rachel how she will feel in a few years' time?

And…breaking up with her over the phone? Really? How dare he!

The hurt of breaking up with Finn was slowly being replaced with anger.

She looked at her phone to check the time and noticed a message notification. From Quinn.

**I'm okay. I'm sorry. Q x**

Rachel let out a breath she didn't realise she was holding. She was glad Quinn replied, and that she was okay. But why was she sorry? From what Santana said, this was something the blonde had been dealing with for the past few years, even if it was at Rachel's expense at times. It couldn't have been easy.

She desperately wanted to see Quinn. She knows it would be awkward, but she needs her friend. Actually, talking about Finn to her would make things even more awkward.

Rachel typed out a reply to placate her sudden need to see the blonde. A tentative conversation would do for now, if Quinn was willing to reciprocate.

**Finn has broken up with me x**

xxxxxxxxxxxx

Quinn's phone buzzed again. She had been in the same position for the past half an hour. The tears had dried up, and now she was just staring at the ceiling. She picked up her phone and opened the text from Rachel.

**Finn has broken up with me x**

Her heart jumped into her mouth as she stared at the screen. She didn't see that one coming.

Why did they break up? Was it because of _her_?

That didn't seem likely. Rachel was all about Finn. It was obvious from her reaction to Quinn yesterday, and it would only be a matter of time before they were back together again.

Whatever the reason for their break up, she hoped Rachel was okay but wasn't sure what to say back to her.

The front door opening and closing interrupted her thoughts. Some mumbling…someone coming up the stairs…

"Hey, bitch!"

"Santana, what are you doing here?"

The Cheerio marched into Quinn's room, Brittany bouncing behind her. The dancer ran over to Quinn and practically collapsed on top of her, enveloping her in a hug.

"Hi, Britt"

"Hi, Q. Are you okay? San tells me you're sad."

"I'm okay, B. Why did San tell you I'm sad?"

Quinn raised her voice for that question so that Santana could hear, who was opening the curtains.

"Q, you can't be wallowing in your own filth all weekend."

Quinn rolled her eyes.

"Or if that's really what you want to do, B and I will join you."

"What makes you think I'm sad, S?"

"You said you didn't wanna hang out with us. Which is just weird because who would _not _wanna hang out with Britt and I? So we thought we would grace you with our presence. It's only fair."

Quinn shook her head and chucked under her breath. She loved these girls. She didn't really want company but at least they could take her mind off Rachel for a while. Maybe.

Out of nowhere, Brittany pulled out chocolates, cookies, marshmallows, and enough DVDs to open a shop.

"What films you got, B?" Quinn tried to perk herself up, if only for the bubbly blonde's sake.

"I brought, like different types, because I didn't know what you might like to watch. Most of them are comedy. Or that's what San says they are, I don't really understand the jokes. But we can watch them anyway."

Quinn looked over the collection. She was in no mood for romance so _The Notebook _and the whole _Twilight Saga_ were put aside.

"Stepbrothers?" The romance in that is pretty minimal.

"Stepbrothers it is!" Santana grabbed the DVD and put it in the player. Brittany had already started to eat into the marshmallows. The girls lay either side of Quinn on the bed, and rested their heads on her shoulders.

Quinn didn't know why her two best friends were rallying around her at this time and being so affectionate. Brittany was no surprise; she was always affectionate…but Santana too?

Did they know about Rachel? Did Rachel say something to them?

She decided to try and concentrate on the film rather than ask any questions. She glanced at the girls either side of her and smiled. _Really _smiled, for the first time since yesterday.


	6. Chapter 6

**A/N: **I hope to get this story finished pretty quickly. I know people are desperate for completed post-crash fics, so I have this all planned out. It will be 10 chapters and will be done very soon. Enjoy :)

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><p>After the movie ended, Quinn felt Santana's head move. She looked to her left to see Santana staring at her.<p>

"You okay, S?"

"Q…I have something to tell you"

"Okay…what?" Quinn knew it. She knew that Santana knew.

Santana sat up and turned to face her friend.

"Berry called me this morning. She sounded like shit so I went to meet her. She told me what happened between you guys last night and…"

Quinn couldn't believe it. Santana _saw _Rachel?

"Santana! Why the hell didn't you tell me that as soon as you walked in the door!"

"Look, calm yourself, Q. When I saw you I could tell you'd been crying buckets over the dwarf, so I thought we could do something to cheer you up. Also, I was trying to think of the best way to tell you, so you didn't go all crazy on me. Rachel has dragged me into you guys' mess and expected me to be some kind of fucking agony aunt…"

"What did she say, S? Just tell me what she said." Quinn tried to compose herself.

"She's…she's confused as hell. She looked just as shit as you do, if not worse because at least you're hot…"

"Rachel's hot, S." Brittany chirped.

Santana hesitated. "I…I suppose. When she's not wearing grandma toddler clothes…"

"Get to the point, S!"

"Yeah, right. So…she told me how you blurted your feelings to her, which I saw coming to be honest. And she was shocked, like really shocked. Which I was surprised by because you've been about as subtle as an ox this year, Q"

Quinn widened her eyes at Santana. Was she really that obvious? Who else noticed?

"Don't worry, I don't think anyone else has noticed. I just did because I'm awesome. Anyway, I just opened Berry's eyes to a few things. Put a few things in her head, like the stuff you did for her, even the fucked up stuff because there was just sooo much gay behind it anyway. I made you look like a sex goddess compared to Finn, which isn't difficult really…"

"SANTANA! How could you do that! You had no right to…"

"Hear me out, blondie. The best thing is, while I was calling Finn everything and opening Berry's eyes to just how _wrong _he is for her and how stupid they are for getting married, she didn't defend the oaf. Not once."

Quinn's anger at Santana's meddling immediately melted away.

"Really?"

"Uh huh. I thought it was weird, because she's always standing up for that ape. Don't get me wrong, Rachel's a mess right now, but I don't think it's hopeless Q. She didn't seem too freaked out by what you told her, she was just shocked because, well it's you. That's what she said."

Quinn swallowed. "She text me before you guys came over. She said Finn broke up with her."

Britanny started bouncing on the bed and clapping. Santana's mouth hung open.

"You're shitting me, Q! Please tell me you're joking!"

"No, it's right here" Quinn pulled out her phone and held it in front of the girls.

"Oh my God! This is gold! This is even better than I thought…"

"S, don't get ahead of yourself. Just because they've broken up doesn't mean they won't get back together again. It doesn't mean Rachel is gonna fall into my arms…"

"No, Q. I don't think you understand the magnitude of this shit. Berry was gonna spend the rest of her life with that moron and now, less than a day after you spill your guts, they're not together? Doesn't that tell you something?"

"It doesn't mean it's related to me. Besides, she said _Finn _dumped _her."_

"That doesn't matter. What matters is, your lady is now single, and she's texting you. I don't wanna get you too excited Q because I don't know what Berry is gonna do next, but you have to admit, things are looking a lot better than they were."

Since when was Santana rooting for her and Rachel Berry? Was she dreaming?

"Are you feeling alright, S?"

"Why? What do you mean?"

"You're not freaked out that I have feelings for…Rachel? I mean, you two have never been friends really…"

"Look, Q. Berry is annoying as shit. She's obnoxious and self-centred and most of her clothes need to be incinerated. But I've seen the way you two act around each other. I've seen your face when she's around. She makes you happy, Q. And you're my bitch, and I only want to see my bitches happy."

Quinn looked down at her phone and smiled.

"Plus…Berry's alright. She was pretty tolerable today. Probably because she bought breakfast, but whatever. She's gonna be a huge fucking Broadway star and you're gonna be a Hollywood leading lady. You're gonna be like the hottest power lesbian couple ever, and that can only be a good thing. Just remember to thank me when you're making Fababies."

"What?"

"They're what we call yours and Rachel's children, Q" Brittany piped in. "Like, me and S together, are Brittana. That's our names combined. You and Rachel together are Faberry…Fabray and Berry. So, that makes your babies…Fababies."

Quinn stared at the dancer in wonder. She loved how Brittany's mind worked, and she allowed herself to dream for a few seconds of her and Rachel and their Fababies strolling around Central Park.

"Just give it time, Q. Berry needs to get her head out of her ass and she's almost there, now that she's free of Finnocence."

Quinn shook her head. In a matter of half an hour she went from complete hopelessness to…well…hope. And she was glad Santana and Brittany were there to talk about this.

"Another movie, Q?"

"Sure, B. You can pick this time."


	7. Chapter 7

It wasn't the best weekend of Rachel Berry's life, by a long stretch. But even a break-up with her fiancé wasn't going to stop her from walking around the halls of McKinley with her head held high. The only time she would ever skip school were for the really big things, like…

Visiting Quinn in hospital.

Rachel was there every day while the blonde recovered. She missed three days of school when Quinn was still in her coma; she couldn't bear the thought of leaving her side. When she eventually came round, Quinn insisted that she go to school.

Rachel didn't know how she managed it, but somehow the blonde could still channel the HBIC even when paralysed on a hospital bed. The brunette wasn't fazed by it; she was just grateful to be having a conversation with her friend.

My...how things have changed, Rachel thought. She was still sad about Finn, but not…devastated. She always thought that if she were to break up with Finn again, she wouldn't be able to bounce back. It was hard enough the last time, but this time it's…different.

This time, someone else in love with her. She is _wanted _by someone else…and not Jacob Ben Israel, but _Quinn Fabray._

Santana's words from Saturday were still ringing in her ears…

_"I'm not sure if you're fully gay Berry, but deep down, I know you have the hots for Q. You just haven't realised it."_

Rachel's thoughts were interrupted by the sight of blonde hair, making its way through the crowd. There were still five minutes until class and Quinn didn't reply to her last text, so it was only right for Rachel to check on her friend and apologise for her behaviour on Friday. She took a deep breath and made her way over to Quinn, who had rolled to a stop at her locker.

"Hi, Quinn"

The blonde obviously didn't see Rachel coming because her head shot up at her voice. Her eyes widened and a slight blush crept up her cheeks.

Rachel always thought her Glee team-mate was beautiful, but looking at her now she just seemed…even more so. If that was even possible.

"H…Hi Rach." Quinn managed a quirk of a smile.

That was encouraging, Rachel thought. At least Quinn didn't hate her. She leaned in so the blonde could hear her better.

"I'm…so sorry about what happened on Friday night, Quinn. You have to know that…it was rude and…"

"Completely understandable. I'm sorry too, Rach. I shouldn't have sprung that on you. It's just with everything that's happened lately, you know…" Quinn dipped her head and fidgeted in her lap.

"No, Quinn, it was uncalled for. I should have given you a chance…to explain. I'm just glad you don't hate me after the way I acted."

Quinn snapped her head up immediately to look at Rachel. "I could never hate you Rach. It's quite the opposite…"

Rachel felt her breath hitch at Quinn's intense look. Her stomach flipped, those hazel eyes literally took her breath away. She felt warmth rushing up to her cheeks…

"Are…you okay? You know after Finn…"

It took Rachel a few seconds to register that words were coming out of Quinn's mouth. She tried to shake away her haze. "Um…yeah. You know, things haven't been right since the…wedding day. And on Saturday he was pressuring me to get married again, and…I just couldn't. Not now that…"

The bell rang.

"Not now what, Rach?"

Rachel clamped her mouth shut to prevent any more words coming out. What the hell was _that? _ "I…I have to go to class. I'll see you in Glee, Quinn."

Rachel offered a smile, as wide and genuine as she could muster, and turned the other way. She lamented her lack of filter…really, what was she about to say to Quinn? Her mouth ran away before her brain could even catch up. She walked to class as quickly as she could.

xxxxxxxxxxxxx

Quinn sat there, dumbstruck. Was Rachel really about to say what she thinks she was?

As she wheeled her way to class, she couldn't shake the feeling that…maybe her feelings for Rachel could be returned. Maybe Rachel wasn't fully aware yet. There was no denying their chemistry and Rachel obviously cared about her a lot. Maybe…just maybe…

She decided. She was going to bite the bullet again. Why not? Life's too short.

She is _Quinn Fucking Fabray_, and dammit…she's gonna do whatever it takes to try and get her girl.

Quinn pulled out her phone, and called Puck.


	8. Chapter 8

**Disclaimer**: I don't own glee or the song in this chapter.

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><p>Quinn wheeled into the choir room, which was pretty much empty. She was nervous but excited. This could be a disaster of epic proportions but the blonde needed to take the risk. She didn't want to live her life in regret.<p>

The rest of the students gradually filtered in. Quinn observed them. Finn lumbered in looking like someone had killed his dog. Sam and Mercedes sauntered in holding hands. They were so cute together. Then Tina and Mike, Artie - with Sugar in his lap, Rory looking at Sugar longingly, Kurt and Blaine discussing scarves, Puck - who gave Quinn a wink, then Santana and Brittany - who smiled at her encouragingly and sat next to her at the front.

Finally - Rachel, who locked eyes with her as soon as she entered the room. She offered a small smile, then seemed…disappointed almost…that the seats next to Quinn were taken. At least that's what she thought she saw. True until proven otherwise.

Rachel sat at the other end of the front row, next to Rory.

Mr Schue walked in, clapping his hands. "Alright guys! Good weekend?"

A few mumbles. Finn looked at Rachel like _she _had killed his dog.

"Now, I know it's been a tough few weeks for us, so I'm not gonna pressurise you guys too much with preparing for Nationals…"

"We never prepare for anything" Brittany stated.

"Truth" Artie raised a hand in agreement.

Quinn couldn't help but chuckle.

"Uh…anyway, guys. This will be sort of a freestyle session. Does anyone have anything prepared?"

It's time. Quinn raised her hand. "I do Mr Schue"

"Quinn! Great! I was hoping you had something, we missed your voice."

She made her way to face the club. She chanced a glance at Rachel, who was staring at her with those soulful eyes and a small, but proud smile. Puck got his guitar and stood behind Quinn.

"Um, I would just like to thank all you guys for your support since the…accident. I wouldn't have got through it without you." She chose to look straight at Rachel as she said that, before addressing the rest of the class.

"I've been through a lot this year, more than what most people go through in a lifetime, but the accident has changed me more than any of those other things. Not just physically of course…" she gestured down to her legs, and her little joke earned some sympathetic giggles from her team mates.

"It has also changed the way I see life. It has taught me to live every day as if it were your last, and love with all of your heart." Again, she looked at Rachel, whose expression was indecipherable.

The song she chose was not too obvious, she hoped, but some of the messages were there. She gestured to Puck to begin on his guitar. She took a deep breath, and began to sing.

_I thought that things like this get better with time_

_But I still need you, why is that?_

_You're the only image in my mind_

_So I still see you... around_

Quinn chose this moment to look directly at Rachel.

_I miss you, like everyday_

_Wanna be with you, but you're away_

_Said I miss you, missing you insane_

_But if I got with you, could it feel the same?_

Quinn chose this song because it's about wanting to be with someone but also having doubts. She wanted to show Rachel that she understands there will be doubts.

She still couldn't read the expression on Rachel's face. She bore into those brown eyes, trying to convey how she felt as she reached the final verse:

_It don't matter who you are_

_It's so simple, a feeling_

_But it's everything _

_No matter who you love_

_It is so simple, a feeling_

_But it's everything_…

As Puck finished on his guitar, Quinn dipped her head down and took a deep breath. Then she looked back up at Rachel, whose eyes were watering and lips trembling. She didn't look happy, yet she didn't look…

Rachel covered her face with her hands and bolted past Quinn, and out of the choir room.

Finn was glaring at Quinn as if she had killed his whole family.

Quinn felt like her heart had shattered. For the second time in four days.

* * *

><p><strong>AN:** I hate being so cruel to Quinn...but I need to keep you guys on your toes ;)

The song used is 'I Miss You' by Beyonce, from the album 4.

The way Beyonce sings the song is too intense for Quinn, but I thought a more stripped down, softer version with a guitar would be nice.


	9. Chapter 9

She may be _Quinn Fucking Fabray, _but she certainly didn't feel like it.

Today she found it particularly difficult to manoeuvre herself around school Her arms felt like jelly and her eyes were stinging after yet another Rachel-induced sleepless night.

She hadn't seen or heard from the girl since her performance so had no idea where things stood now. Right after Rachel ran out of the class she followed, but couldn't find her. She called and texted all night with her apologies, but no answer.

She kept telling herself that nothing will ever hurt as much as the accident. If she can get through temporary paralysis and almost losing her life, she can get through this.

The problem was, Quinn was struggling to believe herself.

A bellowing from across the hall made her jump.

"QUINN!"

She rolled her eyes and braced herself as she heard clumsy footsteps approach.

"What the hell was that in Glee yesterday! What did you think you were trying to pull?"

"Keep your voice down, Finn" she tried in her most authoritative tone.

He surprisingly complied and leaned down.

"Do you _like _Rachel or something?"

There was no use lying to the boy. He'll find out sooner or later. She swallowed and looked him in the face.

"Yes. Yes I do Finn."

His face screwed up like he was about to give birth himself.

"WHAT! Are you fucking kidding me? Is this another game for you Quinn? Look I know you've been through a lot but that gives you no right to screw with people's lives!"

Quinn's blood was boiling and she was shocked to find hot tears streaming down her cheeks.

"I'm not trying to screw with anyone's life, Finn! I…I'm in love with her. I have been for some time."

"I don't believe you! How can you be in love with her? You _tortured _her for years! That's not love! Is…is this some twisted way to get me back?"

If Quinn wasn't so furious, she would have laughed. Instead she narrowed her eyes and fixed him with her steely gaze.

"You have No. Idea. How I feel, Finn."

He looked like he was going to explode.

"Have you told her? You've told her haven't you?"

"Yes"

"THAT'S WHY SHE WON'T FUCKING MARRY ME! You've put ideas into her fucking head! How dare you, Quinn! HOW DARE you screw with our lives like this!"

"Finn, I can't help how I feel, and it's up to Rachel. It's up to Rachel how she feels too. I haven't put any ideas into her head. Plus, you saw the way she reacted yesterday…"

"She won't even talk to me anymore Quinn! Won't even LOOK at me!"

Quinn was starting to become genuinely scared of the giant boy flailing his giant arms. A small crowd started to gather around them.

"Finn…I'm sorry, okay? Just calm down. I didn't mean to hurt anyone…"

He lurched towards her and Quinn cowered.

"FUCK YOU!" He shouted, right into her damn ear.

"FUCK YOU, FRANKENTEEN!" A tan arm appeared out of nowhere and shoved the rampaging Finn against a locker.

Quinn's Knight in Santana Armour.

"Listen here, dough face. I suggest you calm the fuck down and stop making a spectacle of yourself." Santana snarled into his ear.

"Get off me Santana!"

"No, you fucking listen you sack of shit. I suggest you leave my girl Q alone, or I will seriously cut your balls off. I'll have no hesitation in doing that. Got it?"

He shoved Santana away and stalked up the corridor, away from the girls and the whispering crowd.

Quinn let out a breath. "Thank you, Santana."

"No biggie. What an ass. Seriously, what did we ever see in him?" Santana started to push her friend along the corridor.

"I can understand why he's angry though"

"Fuck him. He screwed things up with Rachel all by himself."

"So did I." Quinn welled up again and looked at her lap.

"Look, Q, it sucks what happened with Berry. But if she doesn't appreciate your fine ass, that's her loss. You're gonna have your pick of the hot girls at Yale. Whether they're gay or straight. Trust me."

That didn't make Quinn feel any better. She then registered that she was being pushed along the hallway.

"Where are you taking me, S? Don't we have Glee?"

"Nah, Schue has cancelled. Probably trying to make weird curly hair butt-chin babies with Emma. But I have a song that I wanna perform for Britt and I need to you run through it with me in the auditorium".

Quinn felt like going home, but Santana just saved her from Finn's flailing ape arms. It's the least she could do.

"Sure, S".

Santana wheeled Quinn down to the front of the auditorium and climbed the steps to the stage. There was a microphone in the centre, but she walked right past it and stood near the back of the stage.

Huh?

Santana gave her a wink and a smile before nodding to the stage left. Then footsteps. Two pairs of footsteps.

Quinn's breath caught.

Rachel - a vision in a black dress and hair down in soft waves, walked to the mic at the front of the stage. Brittany followed and stood next to Santana. Rachel's eyes bore into Quinn's. They held so much emotion and Quinn felt like she could burst.

Rachel managed a nervous smile before she started to speak.

"Hi, Quinn. I'm…I'm really sorry about yesterday, okay? I'm so sorry I hurt you. I didn't mean to…I just…just know that I'm sorry."

"And…I chose this song for you, and only you. Please listen to the words carefully."

Tears were streaming down Quinn's face in disbelief. Was she dreaming? She literally pinched herself just to check. Nope, definitely not.

The band kicked in, and Rachel's beautiful voice started to ring out around the auditorium.

_You've been on my mind_

_I've grown fonder every day,_

_Lose myself in time_

_Just thinking of your face_

_God only knows_

_Why it's taken me so long_

_To let my doubts go_

_You're the only one that I want_

Rachel never took her eyes off Quinn's, and punctuated that last line with a smile. Quinn melted.

_I don't know why I'm scared, I've been here before_

_Every feeling, every word, I've imagined it all,_

_You never know if you never try_

_To forgive your past and simply be mine_

_I dare you to let me be your, your one and only_

_Promise I'm worthy to hold in your arms_

_So come on and give me a chance_

_To prove that I'm the one who can_

_Walk that mile until the end starts_

Quinn loved the way Rachel sang the first that chorus. She poured her heart and soul into it and Quinn could feel it.

_I've been on your mind_

_You hang on every word I say_

_Lose yourself in time at the mention of my name_

_Will I ever know how it feels to hold you close?_

_And have you tell me whichever road I choose you'll go_

She repeated the bridge and chorus, before Brittany and Santana joined in with the backing vocals of the final verse.

_I know it ain't easy_

_Giving up your heart_

_I know it ain't easy_

_Giving up your heart_

Rachel began to descend the stairs towards Quinn as the girls behind her repeated the verse. She stopped right in front of her chair, and took and held her hand as she sang the chorus one more time. Quinn couldn't stop crying and staring at the girl in awe.

_I dare you to let me be your, your one and only_

_Promise I'm worthy to hold in your arms_

_So come on and give me a chance_

_To prove that I'm the one who can_

_Walk that mile until the end starts_

Rachel crouched down with tearful eyes and kissed Quinn's hand as the song ended. The blonde thought her heart was going to leap right out of her chest.

"Quinn…yesterday…I reacted the way I did because I was just so overwhelmed. Looking into your eyes as you sang that song to me…it just hit me. It all just hit me and I felt…I felt…more love, than I have ever felt for anyone else in my life. I'm so sorry I didn't answer your calls or texts, I know I should have explained myself but believe me, I was up all night thinking about how I could make it up to you."

Quinn felt like she was floating. She was speechless and struggling to catch her breath, so she answered Rachel in the best way she could. She pulled her closer and leaned in to brush their lips together.

All of Quinn's pain over the last few days, hell even over the last few years – evaporated. As her lips slid deliciously against Rachel's she lost all sense of herself – all thought and all comprehension out of the window. This was it – this was what it felt like to…to be truly happy.

She lost herself in the brunette. She thought she heard Santana shout something obscene before leaving the auditorium with Brittany, but she was too wrapped up in Rachel to care.

Rachel moaned as Quinn deepened the kiss. She had always wondered what it would be like to kiss Quinn Fabray.

And she felt the fucking fireworks, and she wanted to feel them for the rest of her life. She knows, from this moment, she'll never be able to get enough kisses from the blonde in her arms.

They finally pulled away from each other when oxygen became absolutely necessary. They stared at each other in a mixture of awe and disbelief.

Quinn bit her lip and tilted her head to look at the girl she wanted for so long. "You're sneaky." She said with that sexy grin which melted Rachel. "How did you get Santana and Brittany in on this?"

"Well Santana called me last night to 'rip me a new a-hole' as she so kindly put it. I assured her that I was very much interested in you and that I wanted to do something…special. And she was compliant after that."

Quinn raised her eyebrow

"I also had to buy her a coffee and a brownie this morning. And some marshmallows for Britt and Lord Tubbington."

That sounded more like Santana.

Rachel got up and sat in Quinn's lap, wrapping her arms around the blonde's neck. She was content to stare into those gorgeous hazel eyes and lose herself for a while, but she was distracted by another question.

"So…Adele, huh?"

Rachel smiled. "I know. I had to give it a shot, for you. You deserve the best and Adele is the best at the moment…six Grammys and all."

They both giggled.

"It was a difficult song but I knew I could pull it off. I am Rachel Berry after all." She leaned in for another kiss.

Quinn smiled against her lips. "You're not Rachel Berry. You're Rachel _Fucking _Berry"

Rachel laughed.

Quinn leaned up and kissed her girl again. She was _Rachel Fucking Berry. _And she was hers.

* * *

><p><strong>AN: **Thank you all so much for reading! There will be an epilogue after this.

Song is 'One and Only' by Adele from the album, 21.

I'm from the UK so understandably i'm really proud of Adele. I had to give her a mention ;). Also, I love the song. Both of the songs in this story have a lot of personal meaning for me.

Thanks again to everyone who favourited, reviewed and followed. You're all Magick xxx


	10. Epilogue

**Epilogue**

The August sun beat down on her back has she walked up her girlfriend's driveway. She still can't believe they've been together six months. Granted, not everyone was thrilled about their relationship. Finn understandably took it the worst and he refused to speak to either of them for the first three months, before gradually coming around. Their parents were also sceptical at first.

What made everyone come around was how they looked at each other, how they made each other happy and how obviously in love they were. Love is love is love, and no one could ignore that in the end.

She knocked the door, her heart pounding even though she's been here so many times before.

Some fidgeting on the other side and finally the door opens to reveal her girlfriend's beautiful face. She still can't believe she's hers; out of all of the people in the world, she chose to fall in love with her_._

Her girlfriend's gaze was cast downwards as soon as she opened the door; it's habit of course. As of today, it's a habit she can break.

Her chocolate brown eyes trace up her legs slowly, up her torso, and finally to meet her face. Her expression instantly changes from casual happiness, to disbelief, to shock, to pure and utter…

"OHMYGODOHMYGOD QUINNquinnbaby…"

Delirium? Joy? She can't quite put her finger on it, but her lips quirk up at her girlfriend's uncontrollable reaction.

"You're out! You…you…you walked! You can walk! Ohmygoodness.."

"Hey you" she follows with a grin. Her girlfriend is too adorable.

"Come here!" Rachel almost jumps on her, but manages to restrain herself, thankfully. She's not sure if her legs could hold the singer's weight yet.

They envelope each other in a hug – their first 'standing' hug since right after their Regionals win in the halls of McKinley. When Quinn wanted to show Rachel her Cheerios uniform and have one last shot at seeing if the brunette really did want Finn. Quinn's heart broke a little that day, but she managed to convince herself that she was doing the right thing.

That hug took place when they were friends. That hug cemented their friendship even more, before the accident that changed everything.

This hug today is very different. It's a hug of relief, intimacy and joy. Rachel nuzzles her face into Quinn's neck, just because she can. Quinn pulls Rachel in closer so that nearly the entire lengths of their bodies are in contact, just because she can. She's never felt so complete in her life.

It's been a difficult six months of physiotherapy with setbacks, good days and bad days, but she knew she would do it. She knew she would be walking in time for her move to New Haven, and in time to help her girlfriend move to New York. For now though, she wants to concentrate on holding her girlfriend – the girl who made it all happen. The girl who made it all easier, the girl who could melt all of her worries away with just a smile.

"I could stay here forever," she whispers into brunette locks.

"Me too" For once, Rachel is short of words.

"But we can't" she reluctantly pulls away from her little diva and looks into her disappointed eyes. "I have a date to take you on"

Rachel's disappointment doesn't last long. "Oh really?" She starts jumping up and down in her spot. "Where are you taking me Miss Fabray?"

"You'll see," she replies with a grin.

Rachel kisses her and then runs into the house to get her coat and bag. It takes her a matter of seconds before she is back out the door and holding her hand.

"After you, my lady. Show me the way"

She smiles and leads her girlfriend down the driveway. She goes to the car and opens the trunk. Rachel moves to get in the passenger seat, but she has to stop her.

"No Rach, we're walking babe. I just need to get something out the trunk."

Rachel looks confused, but instantly brightens once she sees the picnic basket.

"I would be nice to have a picnic with you where I could actually sit on the blanket and…be closer to you. I couldn't really, before." Quinn says.

Rachel looks at her adoringly and extends her hand. "Sounds amazing."

Quinn takes the small hand and gives it a squeeze as they start walking towards the park.

"I'm so proud of you, Quinn. I'm so proud of how you've recovered and how strong you've been." Rachel looks up to her. "I love you so much."

She looks down at her adorable, sincere, beautiful girlfriend, and tears start to well in her eyes.

"I love you too Rachel"

She leans down for another kiss. Ever since that afternoon in the auditorium, she can't get enough of those Rachel Berry kisses.

And more than ever, she's glad that she took the plunge. She's glad she put her feelings out there and her heart on the line, because the pay off is a million times better than she could have imagined.

* * *

><p>Thanks to all of you lovely magick unicorns for adding, favouriting and reviewing :) I've enjoyed writing this.<p>

Now to find some other way of occupying myself over the next six weeks! Long Glee hiatus is long.

xxxxxxxxx


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